I won
by stormchaser34neo
Summary: After defeating Omega, Vincent lies injured and is found by Cloud. The two share quiet moment of understanding.


I won't

Sort of VincentXCloud, so yaoi warning. I don't own them, Square Enix does. Boo hoo, I'm over it. They can have them back when I'm done. Maybe.

Cloud got there first. It was a hard thing to bear, the sight of a friend so horribly injured. Even with the gunman's amazing power to heal, the wounds were still horrific. The man laid unmoving, face pale in the green light. It told Cloud nothing, and the swordsman shoved his way through heaps of rubble to get to him. Vincent's breath was shallow, his heart beat irregular as his body began to shut down. There was nothing Cloud could do but kneel down and shout for help. He had no Cure Materia with him, and it was the ex-turk's only chance. In the distance he could hear Tifa and Yuffie respond, racing towards him, but at that moment Vincent opened his eyes. Blood red orbs stared up at cloud, glazed and clear at the same time. Only Vincent Valentine could pull that off, could manage to be so mysterious.

"..He's gone…back to the earth…back to the planet…"

"Yeah, we saw. Omega's gone. That was amazing."

" Not Omega..." Vincent shuddered through a cough that painted his lips red. "…Chaos. He…has gone and… I …am free." The eyes fluttered closed, and Vincent shivered from a chill that only he could feel.

" Hang on Vincent!" Cloud growled, instinctively taking the gunman's claw. "Don't you leave us yet? Tifa, hurry!"

Tifa appeared past whatever obstacles blocked her path, casting Cure 3 before Cloud could say another word. Vincent's body shuddered and laid still, breath coming a little easier. But he was still dying; you could see it on him.

"I've got to find someone with a stronger materia!" She called, already running. "Keep him talking, don't let him sleep!"

Cloud shook Vincent frantically, already babbling. "Vincent…um…how'd Chaos leave I thought he was grafted to your soul/ Where are the other demons? How are you feeling? Any better? Don't go to sleep, it's bad for your health! Just focus on my voice! Stay away from the light! Come on, Vincent, wakey wakey…"

"Cloud…shut up."

Cloud sniffed in mock offense. If Vincent felt well enough to talk, then he might have a better chance than they thought. "Well, if that's how you feel about it, then I won't say another word."

"Finally."

"Vincent Valentine! You are easily the rudest dying person I have ever met."

"And you've been deeply acquainted with so many, I'm sure."

Cloud was about to respond when he saw it: Vincent was afraid. Throughout the banter he was trying to distract himself from what he obviously felt was inevitable. So unlike Vincent, and yet Cloud wasn't really surprised. Trust the gunman to throw a loop every time someone began to figure him out. Cloud's heart ached suddenly. The thought of losing Vincent had never occurred to him, not once. The gunman seemed so invulnerable to harm, and Cloud had simply assumed that no one could touch him. A fool's notion. No one was invulnerable. After Sephiroth he should have known that. Even the strongest must fall on time or another. Tears gathered in his eyes at the thought, spilling down his cheeks as he tried to hide them from Vincent.

"Cloud." The usually monotone voice was tilted ever so slightly toward a question, and the swordsman scrubbed furiously at his eyes.

"Don't die, Vincent. Please don't die. I…don't want to lose you. Please, don't go." Here was someone who understood him, who knew what is was like to see the person you love die right in front of them. Who knew the guilt of Sephiroth's actions. He couldn't lose him. "Please don't die."

Looking back, Cloud could never understand why Vincent did it. Why he used precious strength to lever himself up and place that sweet, gentle kiss on the ex-Soldier's lips. But he would never, ever complain.

"I won't, Cloud. I won't."

A/N: Just sort of a DoC drabble thing that I wrote on the way home from Indy in November. I was still hyped about our BOA performance and I couldn't sleep, so I jotted this down instead, and just found it last night. So yeah, read and review. Flames will be read with popcorn and chocolate, constructive criticism will be loved forever.


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